Investors adding to its North Beach Village resort collection

Brick by brick, property by property, an investment group led by Swedish developer Par Sanda and is continuing to revamp, redevelop or renovate old 1950’s era Fort Lauderdale motels and small inns to add to its North Beach Village Resort collection. Already, Sanda’s outfit has purchased more than 35 low-rise buildings and lots and spent $80 million in the past two years spearheading the development of the European-style village that’s rising up in an area between Fort Lauderdale Beach and the Intracoastal Waterway behind the Hilton hotel and the Bonnet House. (Arlene Satchell)

Brick by brick, acquisition by acquisition, an investment group led by Swedish developer Par Sanda is continuing its march to redevelop and renovate small motels and inns — many from the 1950's — in an area off Fort Lauderdale beach known as North Beach Village.

In recent years, Sanda's outfit has purchased more than 35 low-rise buildings and lots and spent $80 million spearheading the development of the European-style village that's rising up between Fort Lauderdale beach and the Intracoastal Waterway behind the Hilton hotel and south of Bonnet House.

The company's North Beach Village Resort collection now includes the 15-unit Cocobelle Resort on Vistamar Street, which was acquired in April and underwent minor renovations, the nearby 30-room Tranquilo, and 11-room Tara hotel on Bayshore Drive, which both opened in February after major transformations.

The 17 properties currently in the portfolio offer a mix of accommodations catering to families and singles as well Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) travelers.

"We have something for everyone, and at different price points," said Christine Sposa, general manager for North Beach Village Hotel Properties, which oversees resort operations.

Developer Sanda wanted to create a destination with a positive flow of energy "where locals and visitors can come to find love and happiness," Sposa said. Much of the way the properties are remodeled and decorated reflect that intention.

Soon more hotels will be added to the collection as several recent acquisitions are being renovated and should come online by February.

The Martindale, Sandy Shores and Seaside motels located along Bayshore Drive and the intersection of Birch Road will be transformed into a single hotel with about 100 rooms, Sposa said.

The soon-to-be-named hotel will be the company's closest to Fort Lauderdale beach, and is expected to have a bar on site, she added.

The North Beach Village hotel operator is also converting 551 Breakers Ave., into the Village Hotel, which will have about 12 rooms and a 200-seat full-service restaurant, Sposa said. The Village Café opened there earlier this year but later closed to facilitate the renovation.

"It has good bones," said Sposa of the Breakers Avenue property, which will also have function space for corporate meetings and weddings on the top floor.

Another recent NBVR purchase includes the shuttered Ocean Tides Motel on Antioch Avenue, but redevelopment plans are yet to be finalized, Sposa said.

Rooms at the Grand Palm Plaza on Rio Mar Street (former Palm Plaza Resort), are also getting a makeover, and the hotel is expected to reopen by mid-November. The former Orton Terrace, a gay-friendly property on Orton Avenue, will also open early November after a $1 million revamp as an 18-room addition to the Hotel Lush Royale, male-only gay resort.

As the redevelopment wave continues through North Beach Village, development plans also call for creating a pedestrian-friendly atmosphere with retail shops, cafes and galleries, which would be anchored by Breakers Avenue.

One nearby attraction has plans to open a south entrance on the avenue near Tranquilo.

"We are very excited to be opening the historic south entrance to Bonnet House," said Karen Beard, CEO of the museum and gardens. "The South Gate will also better connect us to our neighbors in the rapidly revitalizing beach area."

While the revitalization is encouraging, others like John Weaver, president of the Central Beach Alliance neighborhood improvement group say more help is needed to beautify and improve streets for foot traffic. Residents and developers have previously called for more landscaping, shaded sidewalks, and bike and travel lanes.

"We're looking for money from the city," Weaver said. "We also need to have more dialogue with investors to make sure we're all working together and we're all on the same page so there aren't any surprises."